GCVC Member Starbucks Hosts Community Service Summit

As all companies with employee volunteer and community service programs will attest to, measuring the value and capturing the impact of our efforts is often the most difficult and elusive process.  To initiate a dialogue on the subject, Starbucks determined to invite people from a number of companies, non-profits and other community organizations together for a day of lively interaction and great networking around the topics of what constitutes value, what are key trends in social impact, what and how to measure these important things.  The event took place on January 6 at Starbucks headquarter location in Seattle, Washington, USA.

In addition to numerous attendees from many departments within Starbucks, other company attendees included new G-CVC Member Nike, Microsoft and Gap, with representatives from Wal-Mart and Timberland on the phone. Other attendees included City Year, the Conference Board, Hands On Network, IBLF, the International Youth Foundation, Net Impact, United Way of King County, UN Volunteers, the Washington Commission for National and Community Service and the World Food Programme.  

The evening before the Summit, many of the attendees were treated to a reception at Roy Street Coffee and Tea, a new concept of coffee house that Starbucks is developing. Attendees were treated to delicious appetizers and wine, and to getting to know each other around questions of accomplishments within their various programs as well as challenges faced.

The next day participants gathered at the beautiful Starbucks Support Center in downtown Seattle to begin a fruitful and interesting learning experience.  Led by Jason Saul from Mission Measurement, participants examined the changing landscape of non-profit work and its effect on company involvement programs.  We discussed how companies are moving from CSR 1.0 (Charity and Checklists) through CSR 2.0 (Strategic Philanthropy), and arriving at CSR 3.0 (Social Innovation) – moving from awareness of having a “Social Contract” to embracing a “Social Capital Market.”  With the help of our facilitator, we explored the differences between evaluation and measurement, activities and outcomes, and the difference between good measures and ineffective ones.

The ultimate goal of the day was to move towards a common framework – common metrics and the principles behind them that can be agreed upon by the majority of stakeholders to show true value and success in the myriad of efforts going on to induce social change.  It was a tall order, but one the group felt it made some real headway on during this special event.  Everyone was invigorated and inspired to put what we learned into practice in our own organizations as well as be a part of the continuing dialogue with the overall group – with the ultimate goal of offering something to the entire field of CSR and community involvement that will be of benefit, of value, and can improve the way we all develop and drive our efforts, as well as how we look at the effects of those efforts.

Bravo to Starbucks (and our great contacts there – Anna Cunningham and Rodney Hines) for jumping in with both feet to stimulate this important discussion!  Look for more information on future meetings and material yet to come from this dialogue, begun in beautiful Seattle!